Many rollable door or window closures or coverings have been known including those illustrated in U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ 208,700 Wookey October 8, 1878 1,769,272 Peaden July 1, 1930 1,788,173 Shevlin January 6, 1931 4,651,797 Lange March 24, 1987 4,821,786 Johnston April 18, 1989 4,838,332 Mlenek June 13, 1989 ______________________________________
The Lange patent discloses a roller mounted at one edge of the opening, a stiffening strip on the leading edge of the fabric, and a hook at the other edge of the opening. It is left to the operator to pull the leading edge across the opening and find the hook without guidance.
The Johnston patent discloses a similar scheme with the addition of linear guidance means where a drawbar fixed to the leading edge of the fabric is guided linearly in a track across the opening. The spring bias of the roller tends to retract the fabric so a latch is both needed and provided to hold the fabric in the closed position.
None of these issued patents suggest a reelable, extendable fabric closure that is stored in a reeled position and extended to a opening closure position with the ability to cover the opening and rest in the extended position without being latched. Further the known issued patents do not suggest a structure that includes as few as three moving parts and no guides.
Openings in the form of doors or windows come in many different forms and shapes including hinged or sliding doors and windows. In some of these forms there is a minimal amount of space for accomodating additional closures for the openings in the form of screens or storm panes. The provision of additional closures for such openings is further complicated if the opening is oriented in an unconventional orientation or is in an other than rectangular shape. While closures, particularly in the form of screens, have been designed for such openings, the mounting of the closure is usually a substantially permanent mounting without provision for ease of opening or closing and without provision for allowing unobstructed access through the opening. Hinged closures for the conventional hinged rectangular door require separate hinges for the closure and the allowance of space for the second hinged closure to swing. In the case of sliding doors, a separate track is needed for the sliding closure and the framing of the closure must be adapted to withstand the forces for moving the closure through the tracks. A more complicated problem is encountered with doors known of as French Doors where two doors hinged at opposite sides of an enclosure meet in the middle when closed and open the entire opening when opened. In each of the foregoing structures for doors, the suggested closure or screen is a separate structure that is always in the opening whether needed or not; that is, the screen or the like is not retracted when not in use.